Saturday, October 4, 2008

Fake news paper article

Alcohol and its effectTeen Drinking

What is your definition of alcohol? What is your perspective on alcohol? When you hear the term ‘alcohol’ what are some of the things that pop into your head? Do you think underage drinking? Do you ever think about the effects of alcohol? Or even drinking and driving? People associate alcohol in many different ways. The medical definition is ‘characterizes it by impaired control over drinking, preoccupation with drugs alcohol, use of alcohol despite adverse consequences and distortion’. The definition of alcohol according to the dictionary is ‘a colorless, volatile, pungent liquid, CHOH: it can be burned as fuel (10-15% of gasohol), is used in industry and medicine, and is the intoxicating element of whiskey, wine, beer, and other fermented or distilled liquors: classed as a depressant drug’.

Underage Drinking

Underage drinking has become part of our generation and is a general problem to our society. Youths are exposed to alcohol everywhere weather it’s in there homes, at a family parties or even teen parties. Youths are starting to drink at an age which could possibly lead them down dangerous paths later on in life. Why do adolescents drink? Some teens drink because its cool, some get peer pressured into it, some do it to fit in, some just to prove the law wrong and some do it at parties. A common drinking occasion for teens is if they had a bad week at school to calm down, have fun and relax they drink there problems, worries and sorrows away. Teen drinking is pretty common for both boys and girls. Teen boys show a higher rate of drinking problems because they drink more heavily. Statistics show that approximately in a year, 5000 youths under 21 die as a result of underage drinking. There are about 1900 deaths from car accidents while being under the influence. Also 1600 turn to homicide, 300 commit suicide, and still hundreds of other injuries such as falling, burns and drowning. Some other interesting statistics show that 3/4s of 12th graders have drank, but what’s scary is 2 out of 5 8th grade students have consumed alcohol.

Drinking and Driving

Drinking and driving is the number one teen killer, why is that? Teens don’t seem to understand the consequences to drinking and driving. Once they start feeling really good some might seem to think there invincible but the reality is taking the wheel not only puts them in danger puts everyone around them in danger as well. Teens with there G2’s are still suppose to have a zero percent alcohol in there system. Rebelling against the law has its consequences but once you loose control of yourself and pushed your limit with alcohol it can be a very dangerous thing .This isn’t just a problem for teens, a lot of adults drink and drive. A lot of people are killed because of a car accident most of the time results because of drinking and drinking.

Effects of alcohol

The effects of alcoholism are really serious. The primary effect of alcohol abuse could lead drinkers to consume excessive amounts of alcohol that could lead to threatening health problems. The secondary damage is caused by an inability to control one’s drinking. It also effects teens in different ways then adults. Alcoholism has a really bad negative consequence cost for the alcoholic, there friends and family. Alcoholics have in fact a very high suicide rate, with proven studies showing between 8-21% of alcoholics commit suicide. Alcohol influences your physical health and mental health. Alcoholics suffering physical health are prone to hurt there body’s physically. Some effects might be cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, epilepsy, polyneuropathy, and alcoholic dementia, and heart disease, increase chance of cancer, nutritional deficiencies, sexual dysfunction, and death of many sources. Alcohol is not only poisonous for your body but also for your brain function and therefore psychological. Psychiatric disorder is common among alcoholics, especially anxiety and depression disorder, with as many as 25% of alcoholics presenting with severe psychiatric disturbances. Panic disorders can be developed in result of long term alcohol abuse. It can also worsen or occur as part of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Being drunk or hang over at work or during work hours can lead to a loss of employment, witch could lead to financial problems. Being drunk and drinking all the time can ruin families, relationships and friendships, this can lead towards divorces and domestic violence. Alcoholics with children can lead long lasting damage to the kid’s emotional growth even when they reach adulthood. Adolescents in both male and female puberty is a marked time in there life with hormonal changes, including increasing of the sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone. Teens drinking alcohol during the rapid growth of puberty and development may upset the critical hormonal balance necessary for normal development of organs, muscles and bones.